Busted
by llomont12
Summary: Challenge response for the Nightclan Forum
1. Chapter 1

"Stonefall, Squirreldawn and Russetclaw will patrol the Riverclan boarder. Squirreldawn make sure you take Sunpaw with you."

"Yes Cloudstar," Russetclaw replies. I walk over to the thorn tunnel. Squirreldawn rounds up Sunpaw and we head out. The warm, late summer sunshine reaches its' warm fingers out of the sky to stroke my sleek, black fur.

We run through the pine trees to the start of the Riverclan boarder. I sniff the boarder, and mark where the scent is weak. Then I smell a spot where a Riverclan cat crossed the boarder for sure.

"Russetclaw! Some cat crossed here!" I say to the deputy. She comes over, smelling the scent carefully. Just as we try to track the scent into the territory, a Riverclan patrol comes up to us with a beautiful white she-cat on the right of the leader.

"And what is a Shadowclan patrol doing on the scent marker I wonder?" One of the cats on the Riverclan patrol says. The white she-cat looks at me with her azure blue eyes.

"I could ask the same," Russetclaw says. She takes the head with me on her left. "Oh, well, just checking the scent marker…" the leader of the group says. "Yeah right." Russetclaw launches herself at the leader of the group. They begin battling.

I take one look at the white she-cat and she jumps on me. She pins me only because she caught me by surprise. "So, while I am pinned, can I ask your name?" I ask, making no move to throw her off which I could easily do.

"Pearldust. And you are?" She says, placing her paw on my chest to keep me pinned. "My name is Stonefall." She smiles. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you Stonefall." Quickly, I push her off and flip her over so we sort of switch positions.

"Pleasure," I say. We battle, mostly just pinning each other. Eventually, Russetclaw pins the Riverclan cat she battles and Pearldust pins me. "Meet me at this boarder at moonhigh," She whispers in my ear. She gets up and the Riverclan patrol heads back into the territory.

_Meet me at this boarder at moonhigh. _That is what the most beautiful she-cat I have ever met said to me. I will be at the Riverclan boarder at moonhigh. Hopefully I will get to know her better.


	2. Chapter 2

"Stonefall where are you going?" A little kit asks. "Shhh. I am not going anywhere," I reply, trying to make the kit keep down the noise. "Then why did you tell me to be quiet?" The kit asks again.

Busted. "Well… I- uh… don't want to wake up any other cats," I say. "Why did you hesitate?" The kit asks again. "Mind your manners Bluekit," A voice from the nursery says. Oh starclan! Daisyheart comes out from the shadows. "Let Stonefall do what he has to do," She says. I nod to Daisyheart and run to the dirt-place.

I hear Daisyheart take Bluekit back into the nursery and I head to the Riverclan boarder. I see Pearldust waiting. "Sorry it took so long…" I begin to say. She purrs and rubs against me.

Oh. Starclan. I can't help but purr myself. "It's ok, I was a little late myself. I thought you would be here already," She says. She licks in between my ears. Then she touches her nose to my cheek. I look up and see the moon is setting.

"I probably should…" I begin to say. "Yeah me too." I brush my tail along her flank then I run back to camp. I head back in through the dirt-place and run to the warrior's den. I get in my nest and pretend to sleep. I hear the other cats get up and head out to hunt and patrol.

"C'mon Stonefall! Let's go hunting!" My apprentice Moonpaw prods me in the stomach. "Ok! I am awake!" I say and I let her lead out of the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

I have been seeing Pearldust at the boarder for nearly 3 moons now. As usual, I sneak out through the dirt place. I head through the tall pine trees until I come to the boarder. She is there waiting for me, as usual. "I have something to tell you," She starts.

I wait and listen. "I-I am having kits," She says. My mouth drops. "Browntail is sure of it. He said there is going to be 4 of them. I want two of them to be raised in Shadowclan," She says. "But they need a mother. And what is the clan going to say if I randomly bring 2 kits in to camp?" I reply.

"They need a father too," She insists. "It doesn't matter, whatever we do, lets enjoy tonight," I say, touching noses. "Have I ever told you that I love you?" I ask. "Only a million times," She replies, licking my ear. "We are breaking the warrior code by seeing each other you know," I say.

"But I know it is worth it," She says. "At least it is worth it," A cat says from the dark. One moment all I could think about was her, my body pressed against hers. But that changed in an instant when a patrol of my Clan mates burst through the ferns. At the head of the patrol, was my Clan leader. There was no getting out of this, I was busted.

"Exactly how long has this been going on?" My clan leader asks. Neither of us answer. I have my tail wrapped protectively around Pearldust. "I will have to give you choices then," The leader continues.

"Option one, kill her and all offenses will be forgiven," The leader begins. "I would NEVER EVER hurt Pearldust," I say. "Option two, never see Pearldust again and you will be outlawed from Shadowclan." I have had enough of this. "Option three, we kill you now and let Pearldust live peacefully."

That would not go well. "Option four, you join Riverclan to be with your mate," The leader finishes. "Option four," I state clearly. "Really now? You are that disloyal to Shadowclan?" The leader asks. "Well, we won't let you go without a fight," The leader finishes.

"How about he battles… Darkheart and Bluetail." I prepare myself for an attack from two of the strongest warriors. I close my eyes. Then I open them, just in time for a blow on my face from Darkheart. I give him a swipe on the flank.

Dripping with blood, Pearldust drags me back to Riverclan. "Please! Help!" She calls as we enter the camp. "Pearldust- OH STARCLAN! YOU HAVE BROUGHT A SHADOWCLAN CAT FERESH FROM A BATTLE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" Browntail yowls, waking up the entire Riverclan camp.

"He is my mate, we were caught by a Shadowclan patrol and they almost killed him," Pearldust says. I can't see anymore, the blood coming from my head has dripped into my eyes. Soon, the Riverclan leader comes out of his den. "He can stay, as long as he proves loyal," The leader states. He instructs all the cats to go back to their nests.

After about a moon, I was a true Riverclan warrior. They accepted me after we won a boarder battle with Shadowclan. Today, Pearldust is kitting. "Stonefall, don't come in," Browntail says. I wait outside the nursery. A few minutes later, I hear wimpering. Browntail comes out. "You can go in now Stonefall."

I almost run into the nursery. My beloved Pearldust is curled up with 4 kits, as Browntail promised. Two were white, like Pearldust and the other two looked like me. "Names yet?" I ask. She motions to a white kit. "This is one I call Cloudkit." She motions to a black one. "This one I call Nightkit. You should name the other two."

I think. And think. And think some more. Then finally I come up with the names. "The white one, will be called Mintkit and the black one… will be called Whisperkit," I say. I lick my mate and head out of the nursery. "I have kits!" I almost yowl.


End file.
